Residents of Phugwani village near Malamulele in Limpopo province continue to face severe water shortages nearly three decades after South Africa’s democracy began. For years, they have relied on a single fountain as their primary water source, sharing it with wild animals and dealing with its depletion after extended use.
Villagers spend hours queuing day and night to collect water for drinking, cooking, and washing. The fountain water often appears milky and becomes contaminated, especially overnight when animals drink from it. One resident described arriving in the morning to find the water dirty, forcing them to wait for sediment to settle before collecting it. The last time municipal taps provided running water was in 2019, and consistent supply has been absent since around 2020. After heavy rains and floods, community members dug up the fountain themselves to secure at least some water for survival.
The crisis extends to neighboring communities, including Green Farm and Nghomunghomu villages, where residents report similar hardships. Locals express deep concerns about health risks from the unsafe water and the ongoing struggle amid high unemployment, which sometimes forces them to purchase water when the fountain runs dry.
Residents and the local water committee blame the deterioration on a main pipeline from a water plant that passes Malamulele township toward Ntlhaveni villages. The pipeline has fallen into disrepair and is allegedly blocked with concrete and other objects by people from a neighboring village. Aging infrastructure, including reservoirs and pipelines in Phugwani, stands as a visible symbol of a once-functional system now in ruins.
The local water committee has made repeated efforts to engage water authorities without success, visiting various offices but receiving no concrete resolutions. They noted that Makhado Local Municipality officials came only to make promises. Communications with the executive mayor, identified as Miss Gondo, also resulted in unfulfilled commitments, including a promised borehole.
The Vhembe District Municipality, responsible for water services in the area under Collins Chabane Local Municipality, attributes delays to budgetary constraints. A spokesperson explained that the municipality operates under an unfunded budget but plans to allocate resources in the 2026-2027 financial year to drill a borehole specifically for Phugwani village. The district is also collaborating with local municipalities, technical services, and communities on a program to remove illegal connections throughout the area.
Despite these explanations, residents in Phugwani and surrounding villages endure ongoing suffering, highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure maintenance and investment to restore reliable water access.